New job but nothing to do 1

[Tunalover]

I'm in a new job where I was relocated at great expense. Since my arrival the amount of work has dropped considerably and I'm finding myself killing time on overhead. The company is doing well but our particular department is running low on work. My boss doesn't seem to be looking for anything either.

I'm spending time working with some tools to improve my skill set and am studying material that will help my knowledge base but I just aren't feeling that I'm contributing and aren't getting any feeling of accomplishment.

Tunalover

 

[Tunalover]

The problem is that I can't decide if I should start looking for a new job. It's a shame because it's a great company with good karma.


Tunalover

 

[hokie66]

You're new. Talk to the boss. He should appreciate that you want to keep busy and productive. He may know that work is just around the corner.

 

[Tunalover]

hokie66-
That's the problem. When I ask the boss when work is going to materialize he says that there is nothing on the horizon.


Tunalover

 

[MadMango]

Can you go outside your department? Tell your boss that you are feeling "under utilized" and while things are slow, you have spoken with Dept X and they could use some help.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[shamsdebout]

What type of work do you guys do if you can state. I have been in that situation before, I am in building construction and what I have found is that work comes and goes, really busy, really slow. Can you maybe assist another department with their work to keep busy and cross train?

 

[ctopher]

I had the same issue at my last company.
If your manager will not do anything, go to your coworkers or other departments for work.
If your manager isn't giving you work, there is something brewing within management. Don't wait for him/her.

Chris
SolidWorks 09 SP4.1
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[JohnRBaker]

Be thankful and use your time wisely, since one of two things is bound to happen.

You will soon be busy and whatever you managed to learn in the interim may prove to be useful.

Or you'll be out on the street looking for a new job and what you managed to learn may prove to be critical.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[YoungTurk]

I agree with JohnR. If you're worried about your job prospects, then it may be time to look. In my experience, you usually see those things coming.

If not, then be thankful you've not been thrown into the fire and make the best of it. When I started my current position, there wasn't much to do and I hadn't been around long enough to have ongoing tasks. Years later, I can't imagine ever getting to the end of the pile, even when times are slow. You accumulate things as you're around longer if you are useful. In addition to talking to the boss, maybe you could poke around with some of the old heads and see if they have any lingering projects they would be interested in your help on.

 

[MikeHalloran]

You know those tools you use every day?
The ones you taught yourself?
Remember how you never had time to work the tutorials?
Now, you have the time.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[amorrison]

Can you get a more experienced employee to tutor you.
This way you are getting upgraded (within the corporations education budget) and your "educator" can bill to a similar account.

 

[HSNIC]

I guess you are on yank and crank mode and the bossman knows it. I really hate that feeling.

The best thing is too still look busy. Hokie66 makes sense. Let your boss know that you are hitting the books in between billable hours.

Does your office have a library? Pull out some books along your area of expertise, or something of interest. If not, take a look at your own books and notes from college.

I am sure that stuff will get redundant too. Hang in there.

 

[corus]

In between work periods when there's been nothing to do, I've usually developed speradsheets and the such like, so that when I do have something to do later it'll make it much quicker... and maybe later when you're made redundant you can sell them on the net.

corus

 

[SomptingGuy]

Is your time billable? I.e. are Fridays ruined by the agony called the timesheet? If not, do what Mike suggests, work through all those tutorials you never had time to do before.

- Steve

 

[ischgl99]

Before looking for a new job, check your relocation agreement and see if you need to pay it back if you leave the company before a certain time period. At my last job, you had to stay two years to the day or you were required to pay back the entire relocation package (mine was pro-rated for two years since I got in before the new owners changed the rules, and was high enough that I would not have left the company until it was "paid" off).

 

[KENAT]

Keeping in mind what ischgl99 said, I'm still a bit surprised someone with your experience really stopped looking.

As to what to do with your time, above gives some ideas, a similar topic of what to do when not busy comes up every now and then I'd try and find a couple of those threads.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[Tunalover]

KENAT-
When you said "I'm still a bit surprised someone with your experience really stopped looking" I don't understand what you're saying.

Tunalover

 

[KENAT]

Well, I get the impression you aren't a fresh grad from your posts - hence the 'experience' comment.

Generally accepted wisdom on this site at least, and from my Director for that matter, seems to be always keep your resume up to date and have an eye out for other opportunities. Not necessarily spending a lot of time on it but not completely ignoring it either.

You said "I can't decide if I should start looking for a new job" which implied to me you hadn't been keeping an eye out.

Make sense?

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[PeterStock]

I am in somewhat of the same boat as there is often nothing for me to check. I am spending my time learning UG, practicing my Pro/E skills, reading eng-tips, creating documents on how to do something that may be a bit tricky in Pro/E (when I know enough UG, I may do some there). In general I keep myself busy practicing and improving my skills. Of course my resume is up to date. I am not realing looking at this time due to repayment of relocation and retention bonus.

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services

http://www.infotechpr.net

 

[Latexman]

Remember back when you were doing some grueling, repetitive, mind-numbing hand calcs and you thought, "Geewhiz, one of these days I'm going to build a spreadsheet that will do that automagicly". Well, today's the day! You may want to pick something that will have widespread use in the department/company. It may be a good time to give your personal stock price a pop!

Good luck,
Latexman